HC Deb 22 January 1987 vol 108 cc714-6W
Mrs. Beckett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the calculations of extra fuel consumption and costs on which his decision to fix supplementary benefit cold weather payments at £5 a week was based.

Mr. Major

The £5 payment is intended as a reasonable amount for extra costs, enabling speed of payments and certainty about the amount of help available. The principle of a flat-rate payment was considered by the Social Security Advisory Committee to be a particularly welcome simplification.

Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give (a) the daily mean temperature and (b) the weekly mean temperature for each of the weather stations used for calculating severe weather payments for the week 12 January to 18 January.

Mr. Major

[pursuant to his reply, 20 January 1987]: The information requested is as follows.

Week beginning Monday 12 January 1987
Weather station Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Average
Scotland
Lerwick -2.5 -0.3 -0.3 0.1 1.3 2.1 3.3 0.5
Wick -2.6 -1.1 0.4 1.8 2.6 2.5 2.6 0.9
Stornaway -2.0 0.5 0.3 1.4 2.9 4.1 5.6 1.8
Kinloss (Inverness) -7.4 -5.3 -4.6 -1.3 0.3 0.6 2.8 -2.1
Aberdeen AP -4.6 -4.0 -1.6 0.3 2.0 0.4 0.3 -1.0
Fort William -6.8 -6.3 -3.8 0.3 2.5 1.3 4.3 -1.3
Leuchars (Dundee) -3.8 -2.4 -1.5 1.2 2.1 0.6 -0.9 -0.7
Glasgow AP -5.9 -4.5 -2.0 0.0 1.8 1.0 1.3 -1.2
Edinburgh AP -6.1 -3.1 -1.5 0.5 1.8 -0.3 -0.5 -1.3
Machriphanish (Campbeltown) -3.6 -2.9 -1.3 0.8 2.2 3.0 4.3 0.4
Prestwick (Ayr) -6.8 -4.8 -2.6 0.1 1.3 -0.3 1.8 -1.6
Eskdalemuir (Galashiels) -7.8 -6.0 -4.3 -1.1 0.1 -2.0 -2.4 -3.4
Whithorn (Stranraer) -5.2 -3.8 -1.9 -0.2 1.5 1.3 1.0 -1.0
Dumfries -6.5 -5.3 -2.3 0.3 1.3 0.0 -0.8 -1.9
Kirkwall -2.3 -1.0 -0.5 1.0 2.0 2.2 2.4 0.5
England
Boulmer (Berwick) -3.8 -3.3 -1.2 1.1 2.4 0.6 -2.0 -0.9
Carlisle -6.1 -5.6 -2.8 0.1 1.6 0.1 -1.7 -2.1
Eskmeals (Whitehaven) -5.8 -4.1 -1.8 0.4 2.1 0.4 0.4 -1.2
Leeming (Newcastle) -7.1 -5.9 -2.3 -0.3 0.7 -0.1 -2.4 -2.5
Tynemouth (Sunderland) -3.1 -2.6 -0.8 1.2 2.1 1.3 -1.6 -0.5
Whitby CG -4.3 -4.1 -2.5 0.7 0.5 0.3 -2.4 -1.7
Blackpool AP -6.6 -4.6 -1.8 0.0 1.0 -0.8 -1.8 -2.1
Leeds WC -6.4 -4.5 -3.0 -0.4 0.5 0.0 -2.3 -2.3
Aughton (Liverpool) -5.8 -5.5 -2.7 -0.6 0.9 -0.9 -2.0 -2.5
Manchester AP -5.8 -5.3 -2.4 -0.9 0.6 -0.9 -2.5 -2.5
Finningley (Sheffield) -7.4 -6.6 -2.3 -0.6 0.4 -0.8 -2.5 -2.8
Binbrook (Hull) -6.5 -7.7 -3.5 -1.3 0.1 -1.4 -2.6 -3.3
Coningsby (Boston) -7.0 -7.3 -2.4 -1.4 0.6 -1.7 -1.9 -3.0
Shawbury (Shrewsbury) -9.0 -8.4 -3.0 -1.9 0.6 -4.9 -3.4 -4.3
Birmingham AP -7.4 -8.9 -3.4 -2.3 -0.3 -5.8 -5.0 -4.8
Watnall (Derby) -7.6 -8.8 -3.4 -2.4 -0.5 -1.8 -3.3 -4.0
Marham (Kings Lynn) -10.4 -8.5 -3.5 -2.3 -0.1 -2.6 -1.6 -4.1
Coltishall (Norwich) -6.3 -6.6 -3.6 -2.4 0.3 -1.1 -1.3 -3.0
Wyton (Cambridge) -9.0 -9.0 -4.1 -2.4 -0.7 -3.6 -2.3 -4.5
Bedford RAE -9.6 -8.8 -4.4 -3.1 -3.3 -4.4 -2.8 -5.2
Stansted -9.2 -7.4 -5.1 -2.5 -1.0 -2.1 -2.6 -4.3
Honington (Bury St. Edmunds) -9.6 -8.6 -4.2 -2.5 -0.1 -3.5 -1.7 -4.3
Wattisham (Ipswich) -9.2 -7.3 -4.6 -2.9 -1.0 -1.6 -1.9 -4.1
Brize Norton (Oxford) -8.5 -7.4 -5.1 -2.9 -0.4 -2.4 -1.9 -4.1
Heathrow AP (London) -7.5 -6.2 -4.7 -2.3 -0.5 -1.4 -1.6 -3.5
Manston (Dover) -6.8 -6.1 -4.1 -2.0 -1.7 -2.9 -2.4 -3.7
Herstmonceux (Brighton) -10.0 -8.6 -5.8 -2.2 -1.0 -2.8 -2.8 -4.7
Gatwick AP (Guildford) -8.0 -7.4 -4.9 -2.1 -1.2 -2.8 -2.4 -4.2
Easthampstead (Basingstoke) -10.1 -8.8 -5.0 -2.9 -0.6 -1.8 -2.2 -4.5
Bristol -6.6 -6.3 -3.7 -1.9 1.0 -0.5 0.0 -2.6
Lyneham (Chippenham) -9.3 -8.9 -5.8 -3.8 -0.8 -2.1 -1.5 -4.6
Boscombe Down (Sarum) -8.4 -7.4 -5.1 -3.4 -0.6 -1.8 -1.6 -4.1
Southampton WC -7.0 -6.4 -4.8 -2.3 0.1 -0.6 -0.4 -3.1
Bournemouth AP -7.8 -6.9 -4.9 -2.8 0.0 -0.7 -0.4 -3.3
Yeovilton (Yeovil) -7.3 -7.0 -5.8 -2.7 0.6 -0.4 -0.6 -3.3
Exeter -6.9 -6.3 -4.8 -2.4 0.7 -0.3 0.6 -2.8
Chivenor (Barnstable) -5.1 -4.5 -2.6 -1.6 1.1 -0.7 0.3 -1.9
Okehampton -9.3 -9.1 -6.7 -5.3 -2.4 -2.3 -0.6 -5.2
Mount Batten (Plymouth) -5.5 -5.5 -3.4 -1.9 0.8 1.4 1.7 -1.8
St. Mawgan (Truro) -5.8 -6.1 -4.2 -2.1 0.5 0.8 1.6 -2.2
Culdrose (Penzance) -5.0 -7.7 -5.0 -2.3 0.1 0.9 2.3 -2.4
Wales
Valley (Caernarfon) -5.1 -4.3 -1.6 -0.1 1.4 1.2 2.4 -0.9
Trawsfynydd (Dolgellau) -7.9 -6.6 -3.5 -2.0 -1.9 -0.1 0.0 -3.2
Aberporth (Aberystwyth) -6.6 -5.4 -2.4 -1.5 0.3 -0.6 0.0 -2.3
Brawdy (Pembroke) -6.8 -6.5 -3.4 -1.9 0.3 1.3 1.7 -2.2
Mumbles (Swansea) -5.3 -5.9 -2.5 -1.3 1.1 0.7 0.6 -1.8
Cilfynydd (Merthyr Tydfil) -8.3 -8.1 -5.1 -3.6 -0.6 2.1 -2.3 -3.7
Rhoose (Cardiff) -7.3 -7.0 -3.8 -2.6 0.4 -1.3 -0.8 -3.2